On balance
by beamirang
Summary: Jim, Bones, Jo and Gaila go ice skating over the holidays. There had to be something Jim wasn't good at, right? Holiday fluff!


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Have some Jim, Bones, Jo and Gaila fluff to welcome in the new year! I hope 2014 is wonderful to you all and brings you lots of joy. Thank you for an amazing 2013 xxx

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McCoy had one of Jo's mitten wrapped hands in his as they navigated the edge of the ice rink. Their trip to Union Square was an annual occurrence and had been since his first year at the Academy. Jim had been dragged along by Gaila and had been determined to make McCoy suffer with him, and somehow the event had become tradition. It was the first year Jo had joined them, and the first year they'd been able to coax Jim out on to the ice.

"Oh god, oh god, I'm gonna die." Jim repeated under his breath, one arm flailing at his side, the other firmly grasping the barrier.

McCoy sniggered. It might be a little mean, but Jim was unnaturally gifted at pretty much everything he turned his mind to, so it was fun to see him suck so abysmally at such an easy task as skating. "Don't be an infant." He scolded, practically crashing into Jim who was the world's slowest skater.

"I swear to god, Bones…" Jim growled, looking highly panicked under the disgustingly ugly woolen hat Gaila had pulled over his head. Jim wasn't exactly what you'd call vain when it came to his image, but he was very specific in what he presented to the world. Gaila and Jo were probably the only people who were allowed to mess with that, which went a long way to explaining the eclectic mess that was his wardrobe.

"Come on, hotshot, I'd have thought this would be easy for you." So maybe it was _really_ fun teasing Jim for his complete lack of balance, coordination or fearlessness.

Jim had to swerve to avoid a particularly enthusiastic couple who whizzed past him, legs kicking out in all angles and landing on his ass with a thud.

Even Jo giggled at that, but was nicer than her daddy and asked, "Are you okay Uncle Jim?"

Jim glared up from under the edge of his hat. "I'm awesome." He said, utterly deadpan. "Help me up."

They tried to, but somehow Jim ended up landing on both his face and his ass again, all in quick succession. "Now you know you can't be the best at everything." McCoy laughed at him.

"I hate you so much." Jim huffed, clinging to the barrier with both arms now.

Another set of skates came to an abrupt halt, narrowly missing his head. "You know you are supposed to be on your feet for this to work, right?" Gaila wore a thick cream winter coat and matching hat and gloves. With her green skin and bouncing red curls, Jo had firmly announced that she looked like Christmas, much to her delight. She'd taken to skating like a duck to water, gliding and twirling around the rink dozens of times while Jim made it a few shaky paces forward.

"Yes thank you," Jim said testily, "I am aware of that."

"He's grumpy." McCoy grinned at her.

"I am not."

"You really are, Uncle Jim." Jo said, her dark hair curling over her shoulders. She'd firmly stated that she wanted ringlets like Gaila and so the two girls had spent the morning styling her hair before tying sections up in pretty ribbons. McCoy was firmly convinced that there wasn't a more beautiful little girl in existence.

Despite Jo's smiles, Jim looked slightly crestfallen. "I'm sorry kiddo." He said, frowning. "Guess I'm not very good at being not very good at something, huh?"

"You're making no sense." Gaila told him, firmly lifting him up to his feet and setting him back on the ice. Jim's eyes widened comically as they always did when she reminded people exactly how much stronger she was than she looked and then quickly clamped shut as he tried not to fall over. "Now Miss Joanna," Gaila turned a happy smile on Jo, who gazed up at her with rapt, adoring attention. Gaila was really the only member of another species that Jo had had any prolonged contact with. "I'm going to need your help if we're going to get this silly boy actually onto the ice."

"I'm on the ice!" Jim protested. "That's the problem. Who in their right mind wants to go on ice?"

"The people who are sensible enough not to go gallivanting about in space." McCoy muttered.

"You're being a baby, Jim." Gaila laughed at him, taking one of his hands in hers.

"I am okay with that." Jim nodded firmly, in no way ashamed of the way he clutched her arm for balance.

"Oh for the love of…" McCoy rolled his eyes, "come here you big child." He firmly grabbed Jim's other hand and dragged him out onto the ice.

Jim yelped and flailed, but just about stayed on his feet as they dragged him into the center of the rink. "I don't like this, I don't like this, I really, really, _really_ don't like this!" Jim chanted, his eyes closed.

"But it's fun, Uncle Jim!" Jo said, still clutching McCoy's other hand.

"That's because you are a strange little munchkin." Jim told her, shooting her a shaky half smile to reassure her he was joking.

McCoy shot Gaila a worried look. Jim _really_ didn't like it.

Gaila frowned in concern, then skated around so she was facing Jim, her hands on his arms, keeping them both balanced as people whizzed faster and faster around them.

"Hey," she said, "you okay in there?"

"I'm grea-" Jim's high-pitched response was lost when she leaned in and kissed him. Almost at once, Jim relaxed, the tension leaving his shoulders.

Jo grinned up at McCoy, enchanted by them in the way she was by the princes and princesses in the stories her nana told her before bed.

McCoy wasn't really sure what it was they had between them. They were lovers, he knew that from several extremely embarrassing first hand experiences, and they were friends, but they weren't exclusive and he didn't think you could call what they did _dating_, despite the fact that Jim often bought her flowers, and she had taken control of his wardrobe long ago. Right in that second though, he could see what had Jo so utterly enthralled. Jim was classically handsome, and Gaila bewitchingly beautiful, and together they glowed.

"Daddy? Are Uncle Jim and Gaila going to get married?" Jo asked innocently, putting a stop to their kiss.

Gaila pulled back and blinked in confusion, and Jim…Jim fell on his ass again.

"Ow!" He yelped, looking up indignantly.

Gaila hid a giggle behind her hand. "Oops."

"Oops my-" Jim started, pausing when he glanced at Jo, who was beside herself with laughter. "Alright, you asked for it munchkin!" He threatened, moving to his hands and knees and shakily up to his feet. "Better move fast, JoJo!" He grinned. "Or I'll catch you!"

"Quick, daddy!" Jo squealed, dragging McCoy across the ice as she fled Jim and his flailing arms.

"I don't think we need to be all that speedy, sweetheart." McCoy said wryly as Jim tripped over his own feet.

"Little help here, Gaila!" Jim hissed, clutching the tattered remains of his dignity like a life preserve.

"Oh right! Yes!" Gaila grinned, spinning so she was behind Jim, hands on his back as she propelled them both across the ice.

"Aha!" Jim crowed. "You're in for it now, Bonesy!"

"I'm terrified." McCoy called over his shoulder as Jo led him onwards.

"You should be!"

"Ooh, look Jim! Hot chocolate!" Gaila's attention was attracted by the vendor at the side of the rink and before he knew it, Jim was skating solo as she veered off to investigate.

"Uncle Jim, you're skating!" Jo cheered.

"I am?" Jim wobbled uncertainly before he straightened, proud and delighted. "I am! Ha! I'm skating, this is awesome, I'm skating wait...wait, how do you stop? Gaila? Gaila!"

McCoy spun around, one arm circling Jo and holding her steady as Jim careened at full speed across the rink and into the opposite barrier with such force he went right over the edge.

"Jim!" McCoy practically carried Jo across the ice in his haste to reach his friend. "Jim! You okay kid?"

All he could see was a shaky thumbs up Jim flashed over the barrier and the meek voice that announced, "I want hot chocolate, too."

"Infant." McCoy growled, his nerves settling as Jim hauled himself up and peered over the barrier, woolen hat askew and his expression supremely sheepish.

"I think I landed on my head." He moaned.

"Thank god for that, I was worried you might damage something important." McCoy shook his head.

"You're so mean to me." Jim pouted. "Jo, tell your daddy he's mean."

"I don't think you should skate anymore Uncle Jim," she said instead, "You aren't very good at it."

"Ouch." Jim grimaced, shaking his head when McCoy shot him a serious frown and indicating that he hadn't actually hurt himself in the fall. "Beset on both sides."

"You'll get over it." McCoy informed him, helping Jo off the ice and out of her skates.

"I can't believe Gaila ditched me for chocolate." Jim pouted, tugging his own skates off and scowling at them in dislike. "She sucks."

"I brought you some." Gaila announced, arriving with a handful of steaming cups and handing one to Jim.

"You're my favorite." Jim beamed at her as he did an abrupt one eighty. She rolled her eyes fondly and kissed his cheek.

"If you have kids will they be green?" Jo asked them.

"Don't be rude, Joanna." McCoy scolded when Jim choked on his drink. Jo huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I suppose so." Gaila shrugged. "Orion children are, but can you imagine a little green Jim?" That made Jo laugh and Jim snort in amusement.

"God help the universe if I have kids." He chuckled.

"I think you'd be a great daddy, Uncle Jim." Jo told him firmly, bringing a genuine glow of happiness to Jim's face.

"Aw, thanks JoJo."

"I asked Santa for a little brother or sister this year." Jo confided, and it was McCoy's turn to choke in panic.

"Oh you did, did you?" Jim smirked at him over her shoulder. "You should get to work on that Bones."

"How about a pony instead?" He suggested weakly.

Jo thought about it for a moment but shook her head. "No, I don't want a pony."

"Good luck with that one Bonesy." Jim sniggered, clapping McCoy on the shoulder and holding out a hand for Gaila. "Come on, I need to get you your present before the stores close."

"I want lingerie." Gaila told him firmly, slipping her arm into his.

"Well that's going to be awful to shop for." Jim laughed. "Catch you guys at dinner?"

Jo nodded eagerly, both hands wrapped around her hot chocolate.

McCoy only nodded absently, still trying to unfasten his skates. "You sure you don't want a pony?" He asked his daughter desperately.


End file.
